Happy Birthday, Westchester!

Have some cake and raise a glass to local pioneers at a cocktail party for the ages

A photo from the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce’s archives shows chamber members celebrating the opening of a Sears appliance store in 1963Photo courtesy of the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce

It’s a big year for Westchester, and so local groups like the Westchester Elks, YMCA, Rotary Club and LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to celebrate the community’s 75th birthday in style.

Many of Westchester’s founding fathers are no longer with us, says LAX Coastal Chamber CEO and President Christina Davis, but two important female figures from Westchester’s history will be present: Airport Marina Counseling Service founder Mary Ellen Cassman and Rowena Aike, the first female member of the Westchester Rotary Club and the first female president of the former Westchester Chamber of Commerce.

“She’s pretty much the first female-everything in Westchester,” Davis says of Aike, adding that Cassman was also instrumental in the development of Westchester’s YMCA.

L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin is also expected to attend, and so is Karen Dial, president of Drollinger Properties.

Guests can also expect a live band playing music from the 1940s to today, a red carpet entrance, a photo booth, appetizers, complimentary drinks, and historic photos showing the history of Westchester. Last but not least, there will be a ceremonial cutting of a giant birthday cake.